Medieval Clothes and Costumes

Trust me, I don't want to provide you with a long boring list of historical facts and stories (boring!) But at the same time, it's useful to know a little but about the history of the Medieval Period of history, a period otherwise known as the Middle Ages.

Lots of historians argue about the actual 'dates' of the Medieval period, but generally speaking we can state that it ran from 1066 through to 1500. 1066 is a date well known to many, as it marked the Battle of Hastings, and the defeat of King Harold at the hands of the Norman King William. This watershed moment marked the start of the Medieval era in Great Britain, and a long and fascinating period of history it was too!

During this period society slowly moved forwards to the point at which we then saw the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, a period which marked the start of our 'modern' conception of society, with its emphasis on learning, logic, and humanism. The middle ages were still a period in which the feudal system was in full effect, and monarchs held most of the power in society in general. The 'court' became the central seat of power, and it was to the court that the King (or Queen) turned their full attention.

Knights provided a link between the Monarchy and his main subjects, which were the peasants at the very bottom of the social ladder. In those days there wasn't the kind of social mobility we are used to nowadays. If you were born a pauper, that it is pretty much what you would stay your whole life!

With events such as the plague and the great fire of London, these were undoubtedly difficult and sometimes dark times, especially for those at the very bottom rung of society! Can you imaging what it must have been like to live as a pauper in these times?

If you are interested in learning more about Medieval history then why not check out this great site.

So many people get invited to dress up in Medeival outfits nowadays... For adults this may be in the form of an invitation to a fancy dress party held by their pals. For kids this is usually something organised by their school. Lots of UK based schools encourage children to 'dress up' in outifts for school history events or field trips. Its a great way for children to really immerse themselves in an historical period, and understand what life must have been like for people living in that era. World Book Day is yet another opportunity for children to dress up in historical outfits too!

It can be quite difficult for parent to provide these costumes for their children especially as money is tight for many families at the present time. Parents have one of two options- they can either make their own costumes for their children or buy one from their local store or online retailer. Its not as difficult as it may sound to create your own costume. For example, if your boy wants to be a monk you simply need a long lengtj of brown material, and then stitch on a simpel hood. Add a short length of thin rope to act as a belt, and voila! The great thing about this 'DIY' approach is that you can really involve your kids in the process!

If you decide that you don't have time to make your own costume then I'd advise you look online, where the cost of costumes tends to be cheaper than high street stores. I personally like this medieval costumes store, as its not tied in to any one manufacturer, and the prices are very reasonable.

Whichever approach you take I really do hope that your kid has a whole load of fun dressing up!